A+Midsummer+Night's+Dream

“A Midsummer Night’s Dream” By Sabrina and Nicole  Act I, Scene 1  1. How is Hippolyta’s reasoning concerning how quickly the next four days will pass different from that of Theseus? Theseus is saying how the days are passing slowly and painfully, but Hippolyta is saying how the days will actually pass quickly and the days will just turn into night. 2. Why has Egeus brought his daughter and her two suitors to Theseus? What does Egeus expect him to do? Egeus has brought his daughter, Hermia, and her two suitors, Lysander and Demitrius, to see Theseus because his daughter wants to marry Lysander, but he wants her to marry Demitrius. He wants Egeus to enforce the Athenian law that states that if she doesn't marry the man he choses, he has the right to kill her. 3. What was the proper role for women/daughters in Athenian society according to Egeus and Theseus? What is Theseus’s ruling concerning Hermia? The "proper" role for women and daughters is that they have to listen to whatever their fathers say, and that they don't really have a say in what they do. They should also be obedient and follow orders obediently. Theseus provides Hermia with another option, that she can choose not to marry Demitrius and join a nunnery. 4. How does Lysander’s comment about Demetrius’s previous love affair with Helena complicate things? Lysander, while commenting on how he was just as worthy of Hermia's hand as Demitrius, introduced how Demitrius had had a previous affair with Helena, and then suddenly decided he didn't want to be with her anymore and left her to pursue Hermia. Lysander was trying to convince everyone why he was better, by proving that Demitrius was an unworthy, mind changing, spontanius man, and that he, Lysander, would be the better choice. 5. What do Lysander and Hermia plan to do about this seemingly impossible situation? Why do they tell Helena? Lysander and Hermia plan to leave the city and go to Lysander's aunt's house where they can be married. They plan to meet that night in the forrest to escape, because they would be out of the city and escape the Athenian law and cannot be persecuted. They tell Helena because they feel bad for her, and because Hermia is trying to convince her that she does not want to marry Demitrius, which Helena does. She is also trying to comfort Helena by saying that they will soon be leaving and then she is clear to pursue Demitrius. Helena undermines them, though, and decides to betray their trust and tell Demitrius of their plan, because in her eyes, he will feel so grateful and indebted to her, Helena, that he will fall in love with her again. 6. Even though Helena loves Demetrius and is Hermia’s best friend, why does she decide to tell Demetrius of Hermia and Lysander’s plans? She decides to tell Demitrius of Hermia and Lysander's plan because she thinks that after she tells him what they are planning to do, he will feel indebted and grateful to her, and in turn stop wanting to marry Hermia and fall in love with her again, since they used to be lovers. She betrays her friends because she wants Demitrius back more than anything and that is more important than anything. 7. Identify Hermia’s basic dilemma. What are the choices outlined for her by Theseus and her father? What other choice does Lysander suggest? Hermia's dilemma is that she can either marry the man she loves and be killed, or she can marry the man she does not love and be unhappy for the rest of her life. The choices provided to her by her father and Theseus are that she can marry Demitrius, whom she does not love, be killed by her father for not listening to him, since this is his right by law, or join a nunnery, a third option added by Theseus. Lysander suggests that they leave the city and run away to his Aunt's house where they can be married. Once they are outside of the city borders, the Athenian laws can no longer touch them and they are free to be married. Act I, Scene 2 8. Why does Nick Bottom want to play all the parts? He wants to play all of the parts because he fells that he is the best actor out of all of them and deserves to have the most parts and be the most important. He also tries to undermine Quince and take over the role of the director as well. 9. In what way is this scene funny? Why do you suppose Shakespeare included this scene? This scene is funny in the way that it is so extremely absurd what they are trying to do. One man, Nick Bottom, feels that he is so superior to everyone else that he should receive all of the roles. Also, all of the characters in this scene are men, and one will be forced to play a woman. I think Shakespeare included this scene to the play because the play is a comedy, and this is pretty much the whole of the comical side of it so far. The story line with Hermia and Lysander is not so much a comedy, but tragedy since they are not allowed to be married and together, at least so far. The scene also adds texture and foreshadowing to the story, since you know that Hermia and Lysander are also meeting the following night in the same forest. 10. Where are the actors to meet the following night? Who else is meeting there at the same time? The actors plan to meet the following night in the forest to rehearse their play, since if they rehearsed in the city they would be distracted, and other people would find out too much about their plans. Hermia and Lysander are also planning to meet the same night in the forest to elope to his Aunt's house to be married. This adds more context and texture, as well as variety to the characters and story line. 11. How would you describe Bottom’s acting ability? What is Bottom’s own opinion of his acting ability? Bottom's acting ability is average at best. He overacts and is too dramatic, and is not a very good actor. However, Bottom's opinion of his own acting is that he is the best actor ever, and he is so superior that he should get all the parts and be the best and most important person in the play, which isn't true. Act II, Scene 1 10. What does the reader find out about the current relationship between Oberon, King of the Fairies, and Titania, Queen of the Fairies, from Puck and the first fairy? From Puck and the first fairy, who are each close with one of the rulers, we find out that they have been having marital problems, and arguing whenever they see each other. They are fighting over things like accusing each other of infidelity and fighting over the control of a changeling boy. When they fight things get changed and messed up, like there being frost in the summer and floods, famine, and disease. 11. How have Oberon and Titania been involved in the past with Theseus and Hippolyta; why have they come to Athens? They accuse each other of having affairs with Theseus and Hippolyta and are in the forrest to attend their wedding, which is a few days away. 12. What effect has their quarrel had on nature, on the seasons, on humans? It was made the seasons become changed, like there being frost in summer, caused floods, famine, and caused the death of humans because of starvation and also caused disease because of all the death. 13. Why won’t Titania give up the changeling to Oberon? She doesn't give up the changeling to Oberon because she doesn't believe it is in the boy's best interest, because Oberon just wants the boy for attention. Oberon is jealous that Titania gets so much attention while she is in charge of the boy, and wants the attention for himself. Titania was given possesion of the boy by his mother, who worked for her, and she doesn't want to break the promise she made to her. 14. What does Oberon send Puck to find? He sends puck to find pansies, which are purple flowers that contain the juices of love from cupids arrow, which he accidentally shot into the flower. The flower's juices, when squeezed onto the eyelids of f sleeping person, will cause them to fall in love with the first animate object they see. 15. What are Oberon’s plans for Titania? He plans to put the juices from the flower on her eyelids, because they make the person fall in love with the first animate object they see when they awake. Oberon does this in hope that she will see a beast, to repay her for embarrassing him when she wouldn't listen to him about giving him the changeling boy. 16. How does Helena react to Demetrius’s verbal abuse? She does not see it as abuse and turns all of his words around, such s when he says "you make me sick", she replies with "I am sick whenever you are not with me." She also welcomes it, because she loves any attention from him. 17. What is her response to his threats of physical abuse? She doesn't realize that he is abusing her, and doesn't care because she is desperate and she loves him so much. She welcomes any sort of attention from him, no matter what kind. 18. In what way is Helena’s behaviour inappropriate for Athenian women? She is practically throwing herself at Demitrius, who doesn't want her. Women were supposed to be modest and understated, and she was being the exact opposite. Women were supposed to be background, and were supposed to be persued by men, not the other way around. 19. What does Oberon tell Puck to do about Demetrius and Helena? He feels bad for Helena, so he tells Puck to put the flower's juices on Demitrius's eyelids so when he awakes he sees Helena and falls in love with her. Act II, Scene 2 20. Why does Oberon want Titania to wake and fall in love with some vile thing? He wants her to fall in love with some vile thing because he was angry at her and feels revengeful because she embarrassed him by not listening to her. 21. Why does Hermia insist Lysander sleep a little ways from her? She insists they sleep apart because they are not yet married and she wants to keep her modesty. 22. Why does Puck anoint Lysander’s eyes? He was the only Athenian man he could find, and because he was wearing Athenian clothes, he assumed that he was the man he was looking for. He also assumed it was the man because Hermia was sleeping a short distance from him, the woman that was suppose 23. How does Helena react to Lysander’s sudden love for her when he awakens? When she wakes Lysander up to make sure that Demitrius hadn't killed him, Helena was the first animate thing he saw, so he fell in love with her. Helena, because of the continuous abuse and neglect from Demitrius, assumed that he was mocking her, or playing some sort of cruel joke on her. She even remarked on how she thought he was "more of a gentleman that that". 24. How is Hermia’s dream a reflection of reality? Hermia had dreamt that a snake had eaten her heart, and that the whole time Lysander had sat there, watching and laughing. When she awoke, he was not there because he had left her to pursue Helena. This is a reflection of reality because Lysander had broken their love and basically abandoned her, not caring about her feelings and leaving her in the forest to go after another woman. Act III, Scene 1 By Nicole and Sabrina  25. How are the actors going to keep from scaring the ladies when Pyramus kills himself or when the lion roars? They are going to do two prologues before the play starts. In the first prologue they are going to explain that Pyramus is not Pyramus, but Bottom the weaver and will not actually be killing himself. In the second prologue, they are going to explain that the Lion is not actually a lion, but Snout the Tinker, and that no one is in any danger. 26. How are the actors going to manage the setting/scenery such as the moonlight and the wall? For the moonlight they are going to keep a window open to let in the moonlight, but then decided that having a person with a lantern make the light would be more reliable. For the wall, instead of having a real wall, they decided to have a person represent the wall, with the two people talking through a crack in his fingers, representing the crack in the wall. 27. Why do the rest of the actors run off when Bottom reappears? They run away from Bottom because Puck, who they don't know is there, had turned Bottom's head into an ass's head as a joke. He doesn't know this happened, and the others think they are in the presence of evil spirits or that the woods were haunted, and leave so nothing bad happens to them as well. 28. What does Puck plan to do when he follows after the other actors? He is going to follow them, transforming himself into other animals, and make them think the forest is haunted. He does this because he wants to entertain himself with their fear. 29. How does Bottom react to Titania and the other fairies? When Titania awakes and confesses her love for Bottom, he doesn't really understand, saying how they have just met and that love and reason keep little company together. He seems to welcome the praise. To the other fairies, he acts conceited and rude, by making fun of their names, by saying things like, to Cobweb, if he ever got a cut he would go to him, and then making jokes at the rest of them. 30. Bottom says, "…reason and love keep little company together nowadays." Why is this such an apt statement at this point in the play? This is an apt statement at this point in the play because so many people have been anointed with the flower's juices, that everyone's love has become a lie. They are also depending on looks, because they are falling in love with the first person they see, rather than personality like they did before. No one can honestly answer why they love the person that they do, because they were forced into loving the person when they first saw them. The flowers juices took reason out of the equation, and the love has no logic or purpose behind it. Act III, Scene 2 31. What does Hermia accuse Demetrius of doing? When Hermia awakes and cannot find Lysander anywhere, she immediately assumes something bad has happened to him. When she comes upon Demitrius soon after, the only logical solution she can think of to her true love's disappearance is that Demitrius killed him in his sleep. Demitrius replies with saying that if he had found him, he would have killed him, but he has not seen him. 32. How are Puck and Oberon going to correct Puck’s earlier mistake? When Puck and Oberon hear Demitrius and Hermia fighting, they realize that they have anointed the wrong man's eyes, causing him to fall in love with the wrong person. To correct this mistake, they decide that they are going to anoint Demitrius's eyes and make him fall in love with Helena. 33. Why is Helena upset when Demetrius says he loves her? Isn’t this what she had wanted all along? She becomes upset when Demitrius says he loves her because she thinks he is mocking her, since before that he had been really mean and showed no affection at all to her. She did want Demitrius to love her, but she was surprised and thought that he was just making fun of her, and playing a cruel joke on her, not being sincere. 34. Of what does Helena accuse Hermia? When Hermia finds them all and starts asking Lysander why he has fallen in love with Helena, Helena assumes that Hermia is in on the joke and is making fun of her like everyone else. In fact, Hermia has no idea what is going on but doesn't really have time to explain this to Helena, because she is so sure of her explanation for it all. 35. How close had Hermia and Helena been in the past? Growing up they were like sisters, best friends their whole lives. Helena stated how they had hated time, because together it had past quickly, and apart it had passed slowly. She also compared them to two cherries with one stem, as they grew up practically as one person. 36. How does Lysander treat Hermia? Why can’t she believe what he says? Lysander is really mean to Hermia, calling her a dwarf and telling her to go away, that he doesn't love her anymore. She cannot believe what he's saying, because just hours before they had been in love, and she doesn't know what happened to produce the change in him to make him stop loving her. 37. Of what does Hermia accuse Helena? Hermia accuses Helena that she stole Lysander's heart away from her while she slept, since when she awoke, he was in love with Helena, not Hermia. 38. Why is Helena afraid of Hermia? Helena is afraid of Hermia, because although Hermia is shorter than her, she is very mean. She will fight for what she wants, and is "keen and shrewd". Helena also remarked how when they were in school, she was a vixen in the school yard. 39. What are Lysander and Demetrius going off to do? They are going off to fight each other, the winner getting Helena. This is a mirrored situation of the beginning scene, when both men were fighting over Hermia. 40. What does Oberon tell Puck to do about the two young men? He tells him to lead them on a wild goose chase, tiring them out so they will fall asleep. He separates them in the black fog, tires them out, until they both fall asleep. While they are sleeping, he annoints Lysander's eyes, so when he wakes up he will see Hermia, and then everyone will love the people they are supposed to again. 41. What is Oberon going to do about Titania? Oberon is starting to feel guilty about what he did to Titania, since he made the decision in the heat of the moment. He decides he is going to see her again, and ask her once more for the Changeling boy, to see if she has changed her mind. 42. Why doesn’t Oberon fear the coming of day? Oberon does not fear the upcoming day, because he is not like the other fairies. Because Oberon is so powerful, he does not disappear in the day time like all other fairies, but stays in his regular fairy form. 43. How well does Puck’s trickery work? Puck's trickery at the end of the story works, because he is able to separate both men, lead them on wild chases into the middle of nowhere, making them both completely lost, and tired so they fall asleep. After they are both asleep, he anoints Lysander's eyes again,. this time sure that when he wakes up, he will see Hermia. Review: The actors are rehearsing the play, which isn't going well. Titania wakes and sees Bottom, and because of the flower juices falls in love with him. Hermia and Demtrius argue about the whereabouts of Lysander, causing Oberon and Puck to realize they anointed the wrong person's eyes. Puck anoints Demitrius's eyes, and when he wakes he falls in love with Helena. Climax: All four are arguing, Hermia, Helena, Demitrius, and Lysander, with Demitrius and Lysander fighting over Helena, and Hermia and Helena fighting about the situation. This scene is total opposite to the beginning scene when both men were in love with Hermia. Lysander and Demitrius leave the group to end the fight once and for all, and Puck leads them away from each other and tires them out so they go to sleep. Puck anoints Lysander's eyes, so when he wakes up, he will fall in love with Hermia again, making everything right. Act IV, Scene 1 By Nicole and Sabrina  44. How has Bottom adjusted to the attention of Titania and her fairies? Bottom really enjoys the attention and praise, and doesn't even question it. He thinks that because he is so great, he should be getting all this attention and that things were the way they should be. Even at the beginning he seemed totally at ease with the attention of both Titania, and her fairies. 45. What is Oberon’s reaction to Titania’s infatuation with Bottom? At first Oberon was immensly pleased with the outcome of the flower's juices, because he had done what he did out of spite and revenge, hoping she would fall in love with some vile creature, which she did, wit the ass-head Bottom. After a while though, after witnessing first hand what a disastrous mess the flower's juices can create, he starts to regret what he did and feel guilt and remorse, especially after Titania gives him the Changeling boy. 46. What sort of explanation will Oberon make to Titania’s question about what happened to her? After Oberon reversed the love potion, he woke a sleeping Titania, who when awoken, was no longer in love with Bottom. He decided to tell her, when she awoke, that everything had been a dream. 47. Why are Theseus, Hippolyta, Egeus, and the others out in the woods so early in the morning? Theseus, Hippolyta, Egeus, and their followers are out in the woods so early in the morning because they are celebrating the May morning with hunting hounds in preperation of the day's ceremonies, since it is the day of Theseus' long awaited marraige to Hippolyta. 48. What is Theseus’s first explanation of why the young people are asleep in the woods? At first when the hunters come across the two sleeping couples, Theseus thinks they are there because they woke up early to celebrate May Day and went to the forrest because they heard they (Theseus, Hippolyta, and company) would be there so they went there to meet them. 49. What explanation does Demetrius make? Why does he compare his love for Hermia to an illness? When Demitrius explains why he is once again in love with Helena, he states that he was in love with Helena before he even met Hermia and that he loved her so much for a while he hated her, that he was sick, and while he was sick he "loathed the food he usually loved" and went to Hermia. After he was "cured" from the sickness he stopped loving Hermia and fell back in love with Helena. 50. What is Theseus’s decision concerning the four young people? Thesues, overruling Egeus's Athenian Law, decides that sicne all four of the young people are so much in love with each other, and since it was his wedding day, they should all be married at his wedding, all of them getting married at the same time. 51. Why can’t the young people be sure whether they are awake or dreaming? The other people are not sure whether they are awake or dreaming because when they wake up and they see Theseus, he tells them that they are free to marry each other and that they shall be married today at his wedding. This is completely opposite of what had happened not too long ago, when none of them were going to be able to marry the one they wanted to marry, because of other people in the way. 52. Bottom believes he too has had a dream. How is he going to use that to entertain the Duke? When Bottom wakes up, Titania is gone and so are the fairies. He no longer has an ass's head, and thinks that everything that has happened has been a dream. he decided that he cannot tell anyone, because if he told someone then they would think he was insane and no one would take him seriously. He decided to instead of telling people of his "dream", he would have Peter Quince write a ballad for him, entitles "Bottom's Dream", which he will perform at Thisbe's death. Act IV, Scene 2 53. What opinion do the other artisans now have of Bottom since they think he is lost? Since Bottom has "disappeared", all of the actors and Quince suddenly think he is a fantastic actor, that no one else can replace him to play the part of Pyramus, and that he has a wonderful voice an is the best actor in Athens. 54. What do they most regret losing by not being able to perform the play? What they regret most losing by not being able to perform the play is all of the money they would have made if they had performed. If they had performed the play, they would have made sixpence a day each, which is more than any of them had ever made in one day in their entire lives. 55. Why must the artisans hurry to the Duke’s palace? They must hurry to the Duke's palace because he has already eaten dinner and it will soon be time for them to perform, and they don't want to be late and miss their oppurtunity to perform for Theseus and Hippolyta. a) The fourth act opens and ends with Bottom at center stage. What is your opinion of Bottom’s character? How might he be the antithesis, or opposite, of Theseus’s character? I think Bottom's character is more flat than round, in that he doesn't have very many dimensions. He is selfish, arrogant, a bit greedy, and thinks of himself in a different standard than everyone else. Although he seems semi pleasant and compassionate, those qualities are over powered by the other stronger, more prominent qualities. He is the opposite of Theseus's character in that Theseus seems to be more understated, yet fair and unbiased as well as honest and not self oriented. He too has some bad qualities, but seems more well rounded than Bottom is. The two men are opposite to each other because they view themselves and the world differently, and although the two men share some qualties, there are not very many. If they were both asked to make a decision on something, you can almost predict that Bottom would make a decision that reflects his qualitles, and that Theseus's would reflect his. b) How do most of the dreamers respond to the dream experience upon waking? Which character is changed permanently by the dream experience? When the dreamers wake up, they think that they had a weird dream and that it wasn't real and that things were the way they are before they went to sleep. None of them question why they suddenly fell in and out of love with different people, and think it was natural and their own decision, when it wasn't. The character that was changed permanently during the dream experience was Demitrius, because he went from loving Hermia, to loving Helena. Unless Oberon decides to undo the "spell", which is highly unlikely, they will say in love, permanently.  c) In this act, several characters look back at prior infatuations with disbelief. What do you think Shakespeare is saying about love and infatuation? I think what Shakespeare was trying to say about love and infatuation, is that is is involentary. You don't choose who you fall in love with, and love virtually makes you blind. When you love someone, you only see the good and overlook all the bad. For instance, when Lysander was telling Hermia why he was no longer in love with her, he told her things like how she was a dwarf and an acorn, things that he would have either dismissed or overlooked when they were together. You don't choose who to fall in love with, and when you are in love, you make decisions or do things that you normally wouldn't do. Act V 56. Why does Theseus dismiss the stories of the four young people? Theseus doesn't believe the stories of the four young people, Lysander, Hermia, Helena, and Demitrius, and dismisses them because he thinks that they were dreaming. When Hippolyta asks how they could be in each other dreams, he still sticks to his point. 57. Why does Theseus choose to see the play about Pyramus and Thisby rather than the other entertainments? Theseus chooses to see the play about Pyramus and Thisbe because he thinks it will be interesting, since it is described as tidiously brief and a tragical mirth, and also thought that it was more suitable for a wedding than the other forms of entertainment. He had also seen some of the other acts before and anted to see something new. 58. Why does Philostrate try to keep Theseus from seeing the play? What does he say is wrong with it? Philostrate tried to keep Thesues from seeing the play because he had seen it before and knew it wasn't a very good play, but had also seen the actors rehearsing backstage and knew that they weren't very good actors. He said that the actors were not very good, the play was not well written, and that the play seems like it lasts forever. He also says how the actos are working men, not professional actors. 59. What does Theseus mean by the lines, "For never anything can be amiss, when simpleness and duty tender it"? What he meant was that nothing can be wrong when it's done by simple people try their best, because your best is the only thing you can do, no matter your stature. 60. What is accomplished by having the Prologue tell the whole story that the actors are then going to enact? The purposes of prologues, one for the lion, one for Pyramus, is to prepare the audience for what happens in the play. They do not want to scare the women of the audience or frighten anyone when the lion comes out, because the lion is scary, or be alarmed when Pyramus kills himself. In the prologues they explain that Pyramus is not actually Pyramus but Bottom the Weaver, and that the lion is not actually the lion, but Snug the Joiner. 61. How does Shakespeare use comments from the audience to enhance the humour of the play that they are watching? Shakespeare uses comments from the audience to enhance the humour of the play because when the audience members comment on something, they are mostly making fun of it, and that makes it more appealing to them because they are having a good time criticizing what the actors are doing. 62. What is Hippolyta’s reaction to the play? At first Hippolyta didn't really like the play because she thought it was extremely silly, however Thesues thought it was more imaginative than silly. Near the end, however, after Thisbe stopped talking in a high voice and pretending to be overly woman like, she and everyone else stopped talking and started to take things more seriously. She started crying when Thisbe killed herself, and applauded at the end with everyone else. She seemed moved by the performance. 63. In what way is Thisby’s final speech humorous? Thisbe's final speech is humorous in the beginning because Thisbe was played by a man, and he was speaking in a very high voice and wearing make up and a wig. Also, when she first sees Pyramus, even though there is obviously a big sword sticking out of him, she says "asleep my love"? 64. What does Oberon tell the fairies to do? Oberon, apon arriving at the house with Titania, tells his fairies to go all through the house and bless the bedchambers of all the newlyweds. He tells the fairies to bless the bed chambers and protect them, so no one will disturb them. He also hopes they will have a good life, 65. What is the purpose of Puck’s final speech? The purpose of Puck's final speech is to conclude the play. he states that if the audience members didn't like the play, then they could pretend that they were asleep and everything was just a dream. During his final speech he was sweeping the stage, and this is symbolic because he is "sweeping up his mess", because most of the bad things that occured in the play were because of his mistakes. Extending the thought process: FInd at least one example of each of the following that occurs during the play within the play. Write down the quote that illustrates example. Excessive Alliteration "Whereas, with blade, with bloody blameful blade." "He bravely broached his boiling bloody breast." Breaking the play's illusion of reality. Puck's final speech, because the whole time he is adressing the audience. If we shadows have offended, Think but this, and all is mended,  That you have but slumber'd here  While these visions did appear. And this weak and idle theme, No more yielding but a dream,  Gentles, do not reprehend:  if you pardon, we will mend:  And, as I am an honest Puck,  If we have unearned luck  Now to 'scape the serpent's tongue,  We will make amends ere long;  Else the Puck a liar call;  So, good night unto you all. Give me your hands, if we be friends, And Robin shall restore amends. When Pyramus adresses Thesues during the play. No, in truth, sir, he should not. 'Deceiving me' is Thisby's cue: she is to enter now, and I am to  spy her through the wall. You shall see, it will fall pat as I told you. Yonder she comes. Using the wrong word or name. "Ninny's tomb." "I see a voice." "I hear my Thisbe's face." Repeating a word excessively "O grim looked night! O night with hues so black! O night, which ever art when day is not! O night! O night!  Ridiculous metaphor  "The iron tongue of midnight" is a metaphor for how harsh the end of the day is.  Bottom breaking down the fourth wall during the play is a metaphor for how Bottom is better than everyone else.  a) In reading the play-within-a-play, we become the audience for the drama played out by Theseus, Hippolyta, and the others. These performers, in turn, form the audience for the reenactment of Pyramus and Thisbe. How does observing another audience help you understand the relationship between audience and performers?  Watching another audience watch a play makes me think and realize more how when people are watching a play, they are extremely critical. They also gossip a lot during the play too. It also was interesting to watch an audience watch a play to see how they absorb what the actors are doing. I also realized that the relationship is a lot closer than in movies, because the actors are performing to the audience. Both the actors and the audience are more involved in what they are doing, whether it's watching or performing b) Modern television shows often create comic effects by having a silly, innocent, or “clueless” character and a sarcastic, knowing, clever character play off of each other. What examples can you think of?  One example is Titania and Oberon, because he was controlling who she fell in and out of love with, while she was completely oblivious and clueless the whole time. Another example is Puck and all of the lovers. He was playing matchmaker, making them fall in and out of love with each other, while they had no idea what was going on.  c) Identify ways in which Pyramus and Thisbe might be unsuitable for a wedding celebration. Are there any ways in which the play might be appropriate? In what ways is the play-within-a-play an ironic commentary on what the two pairs of young lovers (Demetrius and Helena, Lysander and Hermia) have gone through earlier? The enactment of Pyramus and Thisbe is unsuitable for a wedding because it is about a couple losing one another, and not being able to be together, whereas a wedding is a celebration of union of a couple, or in this case three. It may be suitable for a wedding because it also displays how strong love can be and how devoted two people can be to die for one another. The play within a play is an ironic commentary on what the two pairs of lovers have gone through because they all know what it feels like to not be able to be with the one you love, and also, especially since they just got married, they are imagining how sad they would be if they lost one another. COMPLETION 10/10 EFFORT 10/10 CONTENT 9/10

TOTAL 29/30